Diversity in Technology 2019

The tech sector is growing at a remarkable rate. The ‘tech revolution’ is perhaps the most significant change since the industrial revolution over two centuries ago. However, this rate of growth also brings significant challenges for the sector in terms of accessing a skilled and diverse pool of talent.

A recent report from Inclusive Boards highlights the current lack of diversity within the sectors senior leadership. The findings show a significant lack of senior women across the sector, while black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) leaders are underrepresented compared to the wider population. Some key findings:

Women make up just 12.6% of board members and 16.6% of senior executives in the top tech firms, equivalent to 14.6% female representation across all senior levels in tech.

Only 8.5% of senior leaders in the sector were from a black, Asian, minority ethnic (BAME) background.

Almost two-thirds (65%) of boards in the top tech firms had no female directors. Over two-fifths of executive teams in the top tech firms had no female representation.

More than a third (35%) of board members and more over a quarter (26%) of senior executives in the top tech firms attended Oxford or Cambridge (Oxbridge) universities compared to just 1% of the population.